Realisation of the right to naturalisation by refugees in Uganda

Abstract

This dissertation examines the hurdles to realizing the right to naturalization for refugees in Uganda. The aim is to identify obstacles hindering refugee naturalization in Uganda and extract best practices from comparable legal systems. The study explores the gap between legislation and enforcement regarding refugee naturalization in Uganda, highlighting challenges in implementation that leave many refugees in limbo. The study employed the qualitative research approach and comparative analysis with Norway, Canada, and Sweden provides insights into differing approaches to refugee naturalization, aiming to inform potential solutions in Uganda. The research reveals bureaucratic inefficiencies, information gaps, lack of coordination among stakeholders, loopholes in the current legal and regulatory framework, and inconsistent application processing as major obstacles to refugee naturalization in Uganda. The study recommends the establishment of a government task force to oversee efficient and fair implementation of refugee naturalization processes, provision of comprehensive training programs on refugee naturalization laws and procedures for all stakeholders involved, ensuring that information and forms are available in multiple languages to facilitate understanding and participation, establishment of a clear and objective criteria for evaluating naturalization applications, with transparent decision- making processes, implement a digitalized tracking system for naturalization applications to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement, conduct public awareness campaigns to inform refugees of their rights and the naturalization process, dispelling misconceptions, offer legal aid services tailored to the needs of refugees to navigate the naturalization process effectively, foster collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations to streamline processes and provide comprehensive support to refugees, engage refugee communities in decision-making processes and consult with them on policies related to naturalization in addition to the review and reform of existing citizenship and immigration laws to remove barriers and ensure accessible pathways to citizenship for refugees.